The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On February 26, 2022, a website affiliated with Lebanese Hizbullah published[1] an article proposing that the Axis of Resistance employ tactics similar to those used by Russia's forces in invading Ukraine, specifically rocket attacks and ground operations, in an "upcoming war" against Israel, which was described as a "temporary entity."
The article claimed that Russia's rocket attacks were effective in destroying the military capabilities of the Ukrainian army and cited the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman's as saying that 821 Ukrainian military sites were targeted, including 14 Air Force bases and 19 command and control centers, destroying 24 air defense systems and 48 radars.
According to the site, Russia's rocket operations allowed its ground troops to advance gradually "during the last few hours and take control of many important areas and sensitive facilities," adding that Russian forces are advancing on Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
"This scenario," the article argued, "is likely to be applied against the temporary entity [Israel], especially since the forces, movements, and states of the Axis of Resistance possess a huge missile arsenal... [including] winged rockets [cruise missiles] and different types and generations of drones — most of which are now locally made across all fronts."
The article further suggested that an offensive on Israel should begin with "attacks using missiles and drones in the early hours of the war, targeting sensitive military and civilian targets, which will set the scene for ground operations. Looking at the size of the temporary entity [Israel], we realize that the axis will not need a huge missile arsenal like Russia's, because the number of strategic and sensitive targets [in Israel] is smaller, and the range of the missiles will not need to exceed 2,000 kilometers."
Moreover, the article stressed that once missiles target Israel's military and civilian airports, as well as Israel's air defense system, the Israeli Air Force will be paralyzed and removed from the equation, enabling "[the forces of] the Axis of Resistance to advance on the ground from multiple directions, [including] from southern Lebanon, the Golan [Heights], and the Gaza Strip."
[1] February 26, 2022
